Archive for Personal notes

I haven’t been posting for a bit because of a medical emergency in my family. Most of my time has been spent shuttling back and forth between home and the hospital. Whenever I’ve had the chance, though, I’ve been reading Holistic Management by Allan Savory. I’ve only gotten through a quarter of the book, but considering the circumstances, I’m proud of myself for still seeking agricultural insight amidst all the chaos.

On a deeper note, this experience is reinforcing my commitment to farming profitably. If I had delved into farming with a martyr mentality (as many people have encouraged me to do), I’d be devastated, both emotionally and financially, by a situation like this. I’d be paralyzed by scarce resources and unable to help my family during a difficult time.

I’m glad I never subscribed to the belief that becoming a farmer has to mean draining your bank account. I love farming, but I’m not willing to do it if it means not being able to prepare for life’s untimely yet inevitable surprises.

When you take it upon yourself to study something without any externally imposed pressure, it can be challenging to stay on track. Sometimes I find it difficult to keep up with farm readings because I’m such a hands-on person, and I don’t have any land to apply my new knowledge to. But it’s important to just keep packing that knowledge into your head for the day when you do get put up to the test, if you should be so lucky. Here’s why:

If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable. Favourable conditions never come… We must do the best we can. -C.S. Lewis

About

This is a study journal to accompany SelfmadeFarmer.com. The main purpose of it is to organize my thoughts and research about farming in one place; a secondary purpose is to share it with anyone who wants to follow along and learn with me.

If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable. Favourable conditions never come... We must do the best we can.- C.S. Lewis